Steven Universe - One of a kind
by Jedwell
Summary: My first story, taking place in the Steven Universe... universe. When Steven enters Rose's armory for the first time, what if he stumbled upon a gem who was sealed away? This story features Adamite, a gem with amnesia. Modest and considerate, he is just trying to make everyone happy, unknowing that he is burdened with a terrible legacy.
1. Chapter 1 - Lost and found

_So, this is my first shot at writing... anything, really. And as a friend of mine once said, you gotta love pre-established plot lines! I obviously do not own Steven Universe. This IS fan fiction, right?_

 _EDIT: I noticed that the more I'm trying to flesh out my story, the more I am starting to learn about writing. As much, I may start to notice flaws or things that could be improved. Previous chapters may be prone to smaller changes or even entire rewrites. I am hoping as an author along with this story._

"Whoa... Is this one of those... magic gem places, you told me about?" Connie asked Steven in wonder.

After being warped through a magic portal by Lion, the two found themselves on a circular platform in a huge cavern, entirely surrounded by water. Equally as astonished as Connie, Steven took a few steps forward. To his amazement, the middle circle of the stage briefly lit up in a bright, pink light, revealing a small pedestal in the center of the room.

"Yep, magic gem place." Steven confirmed. "Lion, normally I'm all about this stuff, but this is _not_ the movies."

Lion simply returned a disinterested growl.

"What does that mean, Lion!" Steven lamented, throwing up his arms in frustration. "What does that even mean!"

Connie, meanwhile, curiously examined the pillar. "What if he bought you here... for a reason?" She offered. While Steven was busy worrying about the movies, she noticed the hand shaped slot placed on top of the pillar. Experimentally, she lifted Steven's hand and placed it on top. Sure enough, the entire platform lit up once again.

"Hey, I think it likes you!" She giggled.

Steven, realizing his hand was practically glued to the pillar, began to panic. "I'm stuck! It won't... come off!

"Hang on!" Connie helped him trying to remove his hand from the pillar, but to no avail. "Well, looks like it's stuck on good. I guess we'll have to chop it off" She offered sarcastically.

"WHAAT?!"

Right on cue, a container emerged from the ground in front of them, revealing an assortment of various swords in all shapes and sizes.

"Hey, swords!" Connie said mischievously.

"NOO!" Steven yelled, still not entirely okay with the idea of having his entire hand removed. At his command, the swords returned to where they came from.

"Whoah, how did you _do_ that?" Connie asked curiously.

"I... don't know?"

"Do it again!"

Trying to focus his mind, Steven attempted to cause some sort of reaction, but with little results.  
Connie, meanwhile, wondered if she could use Steven as some sort of controller. Experimentally poking him, she actually managed to produce various sets of armor from the ground.

"Cool! Press my nose!" Steven yelled enthusiastically.

Sure enough, the sets of armor were replaced by three pink cannons.

"Wow, are those light cannons?" Steven wondered. "I wonder what else we can find in here"

Without needing to be told what to do next, Connie yanked at Steven's cheeks.

To their right, a small pedestal appeared, revealing a pink bubble. Although it was rather far away, Steven swore he could spy a gem inside. Connie immediately walked over to it, eager to inspect the alien object.

"Hey, wait! Careful with that!"

Seemingly deaf, she picked up the bubble, eyeing it with wonder. Inside, she could see a faceted green gem, calmly floating inside the sphere.

"Hey, I think there's something inside!"

Steven frantically tried to pull himself free, and to his surprise, actually managed to do so. Stumbling back, he accidentally knocked over Connie, sending the bubble flying across the platform.

"What?! NO!" He yelled, desperately lifting his arm in a feeble attempt to catch it. Though soon enough, the bubble clattered to the ground, popping it, and releasing the stored gem.

"Oohh, this is not good..." Steven whimpered, growing increasingly agitated. If a gem had been sealed away in a desolate place such as this, it had to be for a reason. But his question was soon to be answered, as the gem started producing a faint light. Floating up, a shape began to materialize itself, slowly forming into a humanoid figure. Soon enough, a person, who looked like what one would estimate to be a young man, manifested itself, it's back turned to them. He estimated it to be slightly taller than Pearl.

"Wait... a _male_ gem?" Steven muttered in confusion.

Noticing the sound, the figure quickly turned around. Connie inquisitively eyed the being in front of her. He had lime skin and an overall slim build, mid-length, white, ruffled hair and two green eyes. His facial features were mostly plain and ordinary. He wore a surprisingly casual attire: A dark green hooded jacket over a light green shirt, completed with olive cargo pants, with a notable lack of any footwear. Additionally, he wore a finger less glove on his right hand, while his gem, a green octagon, was embedded on the back of his right hand. Steven noted that it was similar to a usual human attire, rather than the unusual outfits of his gem friends.

"Phew, he doesn't seem to be corrupted." Steven sighed in relief.

"Huh? Corrupted? How did I get _here?_ Who are _you_ , anyway? I... my head feels... hazy"

Steven, regaining his composure, stepped forward. "I'm Steven, and this is Connie. We found you in some kind of compartment. I wonder what you were doing in there...?"

"Oh...okay. Well, I'm Adamite, I... think?" The gem scratched the back of his head in confusion. Steven assumed he was still trying to take in the whole situation.

"What do you mean you... think?" Steven asked.

"I don't know. I don't really... remember anything. It's just the only name floating around in my mind, so I figured it would be mine... does that make sense?"

"Wait, so you don't know anything about yourself? Hm, maybe the other gems know who you are, we should probably head back to the temple and ask them about you."

"Sure... I guess." He mumbled drowsily.

Steven enthusiastically turned around, only to see that Lion had been taking a nap. Again.

"Lion, get us back to the temple" He commanded.

He instead received a apathetic yawn.

"Come on you lazy fuzzball, you can take a nap when we're home. Please?"

Reluctantly, Lion rolled on to his stomach, beckoning the trio to hop on. Steven and Connie ran over to him, getting themselves comfortable on his back. "Hey, that means you too!" Steven yelled over to Adamite, who was still absently gazing around the scene. Snapping to his senses, he noticed everyone else staring at him.

"Uhh... right. Coming." He cautiously approached the strange, pink creature, unsure of it's nature.

"Don't worry, Lion is nice! He's just like a normal pet dog. Expect he can walk on water, and shoots magic portals and stuff."

Still not entirely convinced, Adamite slowly climbed onto his back, sitting down behind Connie.

"Lion, go!" Steven ordered.

For once, Lion got up on command, and released a powerful roar, which manifested itself into a pink portal. He started running towards it, and, with a mighty leap, jumped right through. Adamite was holding on to the creature as though his life depended on it, but managed to keep himself from screaming. Soon enough, they found themselves on the beach in front of Steven's house. Adamite, still shaken by the experience, slowly got off Lion, glad to have solid ground under his feet again.

"Well, that was... something." He stammered.

"This is where I live!" Steven exclaimed happily. "I'm sure it's okay if you stay here for now. At least until we can figure out who you are. Come on!" Before the rest could say anything, Steven already darted up the stairs to his doorstep, beckoning them to follow.

"I'd love to stay, but I can't really tell how much time we spent in that weird place. My parents would kill me if I came home late. I'll see you later Steven! Oh, and you too, Adamite." She waved them a friendly farewell, and ran back towards the city.

Upon entering the small house, Adamite examined the room he found himself in. From the small bed in front of an odd box, to the open kitchen, everything seemed to... simple. But what stood out the most was the strange pad in front of a set of doors. The house seemed to have been built onto the side of a mountain, or a structure made of rock. Given the unusual craftsmanship, he assumed it to be some kind of temple.

"Yo Steven" he heard a voice yell. It was then, that he noticed the small, plump figure on top of the bed, apparently watching said odd box. She jumped down, landing in the middle of the room.

"I thought you were going to watch that movie with Con-" She noticed Adamite, still standing in the doorstep. "Whoa... a guy! Who _is_ that?".

"Uhh... Amethyst, meet Adamite! Adamite, Amethyst. I found him in some strange place Lion showed me."

Amethyst immediately walked up to him, curiously eyeing him from all sides. Adamite felt a bit uncomfortable, but decided not to speak up.

"You _found_ him? What was he doing there, anyway?"

"We don't know, I think he's lost his memory, so I offered him to stay until we can figure things out."

"Well, I sure don't mind" She turned back to Adamite, playfully boxing his right shoulder. "You and I, we're gonna get along juuust fine!"

He forced a sympathetic smile on his lips.

"By the way, where are the other gems?" Steven asked.

"Eh, they went on some sort of mission about another random corrupted gem. I was still busy doin' nothing, though, but they can handle it. They'll probably be back anytime soon. Until then, who's ready for sum' wacky cartoons!"

With that, Amethyst leaped back onto the bed, turning back to the box. Steven happily followed her up the stairs, sitting down next to her. Adamite decided it was likely best to just follow them. He had to admit, he was quite curious as to what those "cartoons" were. Making his way up to the two, he took his seat next to Steven. But even though the series they were watching was surely interesting, he couldn't help but drift off, trying to remember something, anything at all. But his mind seemed entirely blank, try as he might.

 _So, I really have no idea what my writing is like. ANY form of feedback is welcome. Flame me, praise me, I can take it. I just need to know how to improve. Especially if you feel like some of the characters are too OOC. I do want to portray them properly, after all._


	2. Chapter 2 - Unease

Steven suggested watching a different show. Apparently, "Crying breakfast friends" was all about the depiction of various food items, continually crying over the most ludicrous things.

"Am I the only one... mildly disturbed by this?".

"Nope, I don' get it either. Yo Steven, can you switch channels again?".

"Come on guys, it's one of my favorite shows!".

Adamite still failed to see how this particular series could even be remotely entertaining, but he would rather not argue over something so trivial. However, their conversation was interrupted by a high-pitched sound, emanating from the back of the room.

"The gems are back!", Steven exclaimed in excitement. The TV forgotten in an instant, he hurried over to the warp pad. Sure enough, two figures manifested themselves on top of the pad. Still a little nervous to find himself in a foreign location, Adamite decided not to get up until he was asked to.

"Oh, hello Steven!", the shorter one greeted. "We just returned from our mission, how were the movies with Connie?".

"We didn't actually get there. I asked Lion to take us, but he just warped us to some strange cavern instead. We ended up accidentally freeing some kind of gem, though. The problem is, he doesn't remember anything at all. We thought maybe you know him.".

"You found _him_? Where is he?". To Steven's bewilderment, Pearl immediately grew agitated. Even Garnet seemed a little distressed, which was very much unlike her.

"Uhh, right up there, we just wa-". Pearl just rushed past him mid-sentence to take a peek around the corner. She instantly spotted the green gem sitting next to Amethyst, still watching some sort of series. To Pearl's relief, the sound of the TV seemed to drown out their conversation. Steven couldn't quite understand why Pearl was acting this way, figured she was just surprised that there were other gems on earth.

"So you don't know him either?", Steven sighed, lowering his head in disappointment. "Well, can he at least stay here until we can figure out who he is?"

"So he really doesn't remember anything...". Pearl mumbled to herself. She nervously glanced over to Garnet. "What do you think of this?".

For the entire conversation, Garnet hadn't spoken up. She simply stood there, seemingly staring of into the distance. She took a few seconds to answer, but then turned her attention back to Pearl. "It'll be fine", she calmly stated.

"If you say so...". Pearl did not seem entirely convinced.

"What's wrong guys? It's not like he's corrupted. He's nice, really.".

"Oh it's just... uhh... we haven't really been around another male gem before, other than you, of course. Although gems are gender less, almost all of us choose a feminine form of appearance. It doesn't really matter, though, since we don't reproduce like you humans do.".

"O...kay then.", Steven mumbled, trying to understand what Pearl just tried to tell him. "So... it shouldn't really be a problem then, right?".

"No, haha, no problem at all.", Pearl stated, laughing nervously.

"Alright, let's introduce you to each other then!". Steven never took long to regain his cheerful demeanor.

"Uh, wait, I don't think now is-". Pearl was cut off by Steven before she could object. "Hey Adamite, can you come down? I want to introduce you.".

"Huh? Sure.", he heard him answer from around the corner. Soon enough, the gem unenthusiastically shuffled down the stairs and walked over to them, eyeing the two new comers. Steven, meanwhile, watched like a child in a toy store, eager for his friends to like each other.

"So, you're the other gems Steven talked about? I'm... Adamite. Pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand to Pearl, as a sign of good intent. Pearl, however, seemed to be very hesitant about returning the favor, staring at his hand as though it were some kind of weapon. Adamite simply watched her in concern, unsure what to make of it. Seeing this, she decided to, albeit reluctantly, shake his hand in return. "I'm Pearl, the pleasure is... mutual.". Try as she might, the words sounded forced.

"Alright then...", he said, turning to Garnet. "And you are...?".

"Garnet.", she stated bluntly.

Adamite couldn't see through her glasses, but he felt as though she was giving him a death stare. Steven grew increasingly concerned about the hostility in the air, and decided a change of topic would be good.

"Sooo, how did your mission go?", he asked in an inconspicuous tone.

"Oh, right.". Pearl immediately snapped to attention. "We've just investigated the sea spire to see if there was any way of restoring it. Sadly, the entire complex is still entirely submerged, so our efforts were significantly hampered.". Pearl went on about the complex properties of gem architecture, and the previous unease soon forgotten. Adamite, meanwhile, was still bewildered about the initial display of negativity towards him, but was eager to be on good terms with everyone either way. After all, it looked like he was going to live her for a while, and he genuinely wanted to get along with everyone.


	3. Chapter 3 - Beach calamity

"Huh, so this is what you crystal gems do most of the time?".

Adamite watched in a mixture of concern and amazement, as the trio battled what appeared to be a giant puffer fish. It seemed to be impervious to any direct attacks, and the gems quickly found themselves running out of options.

"Yup. We mostly run around and protect earth from monsters like that one.", Steven explained. Although Adamite had no idea how to fight, Steven invited him along anyway. Adamite didn't seem too thrilled about the idea at first, but figured it would certainly be more interesting than sitting around at home all day.

"I see. How... noble of you. Humanity can consider itself lucky to have it's personal set of guardians.", he smiled. He wished he could help them out, he liked the idea of being a defender, too. But he realized he would likely just be in the way.

"DUCK!", he heard Pearl yell at the top of her lungs. Turning his attention back to the fight, he luckily noticed the whirling spear darting towards him just in time to dodge.

"Given that we _are_ watching a fight, I should have probably been expecting this", he chuckled nervously.

Next up, Garnet leaped into the air, preparing to charge down at the creature. She was not prepared to have it open it's maw, only to blast her with a powerful gust of air. Suddenly, she found herself soaring through the sky into the opposite direction, only coming to a stop after crashing into a house.

"Is she... going to be okay?", Adamite asked, a clear tone of concern in his voice.

"It's Garnet, she's tough. Although... we should probably go check on her anyway. She might have broken something."

Broken may have been an understatement. When the two arrived at the "crash site", they found the entire roof of Fish Stew Pizza completely caved in. Garnet, virtually oblivious to the angry man below shouting at her, was firmly planted inside the sign.

"I guess this falls into collateral damage?", Adamite thought aloud.

"Garnet, are you okay?", Steven yelled.

Finally showing a reaction, she leaped down onto the boardwalk, directly next to Steven.

"I'm fine.", she stated. It was then, that the other gems caught up with them. Apparently, they couldn't care less about the damage Garnet had caused, solely arguing about how the puffer fish managed to get away. Deciding it was best to head back to the temple for now, they jumped off in unison, leaving a furious Kofi behind. With no one else around, he turned to Steven.

"Steven! What is wrong with your friends? First they WRECK my sign, and then they just run off without even offering to help!".

"Uhh... I would help.", Adamite offered meekly.

"Finally, someone who knows what common courtesy is! I'll go get some supplies.". With that, he trudged back into his shop.

"Aww, you didn't have to do that, it wasn't even your fault!", Steven said. He did feel kind of guilty that Adamite was willing to take the entire task upon himself.

"Don't worry about it, someone has to, right? Besides, I think this is one of the... safer ways to help earth. Although I'm still quite surprised about the gems. For all their resolution to save earth, they seem to care little about the actual individuals.".

"I think they're just looking at the bigger picture, that puffer fish is still roaming around, you know".

Not much later, Kofi stepped back out of the shop, armed with a large toolbox. He nonchalantly handed it over handed it over to Adamite.

"Materials are in the storage. Have fun", he snorted. And just like that, he was gone again.

"You sure you don't need any help?", Steven offered.

"I'll be fine, really. At least I've got something to do now. I'll see you at the house later.".

"Alright, later then!", Steven said, storming off towards the temple.

* * *

"Ugh, that was more work than I thought it would be...", Adamite sighed, as he finished replacing the last roof tile. To be fair, it didn't look all that professional, but he hoped it would suffice. Although he fixed up the roof, the sign still had to be rebuilt. Given that he had to accurately mimic the design, it was sure to be a most tedious task. He stood to take a glance around the roof and spied Steven, happily running towards the shop.

"Hey Adamite!", he shouted up to him. "Are the Pizza's still here?".

"Yeah, I think they're still inside the shop. At least Kofi is, but he should know where the others are. How come you ask?".

"I wanted to throw a beach party, so they see how nice the other gems actually are. They don't even know what the they do for humanity all the time. I think that's kinda sad.".

"I see what you mean, but I'm afraid I still have a lot of work to do.", he said, eyeing the logo that Kofi had given him as a blueprint. "Depending on when I'm done, I'll come join up with you.".

"It's not like you have to do it all at once, why don't you take a break?", Steven offered.

"I'd rather not. If I want Kofi to be able to reopen the shop by tomorrow, I ought to be done by today."

Besides, he hated it when he postponed a task, only to end up in a devilish circle of procrastination. If he got everything done in one sitting, he wouldn't have to worry about it later.

"Oh, alright then". Steven seemed somewhat saddened, but ran off to invite the Pizza's anyway. Adamite turned his attention back to the task at hand, pondering how best to tackle the problem. He spent the next few hours screwing boards together, producing a larger rectangle as a base for the sign, though the most difficult part was to accurately reproduce the logo. When it was all said and done, he proudly eyed his "masterpiece". At least it vaguely looked like a pizza.

"Eh, it'll do.". He figured that Kofi wouldn't be picky when it came to free service.

As he prepared to pack up the tools, he noticed a familiar sound. Quickly scanning the beach, he spied  
the flying creature from earlier. So, it did come back after all, and quite soon at that. Curiously eyeing the puffer fish, he estimated it to be heading for the temple.

"Oh well, it'll be dealt with as soon as the gems-". He stopped mid-thought. The gems! They were still having their beach party with the Pizza's! If they were to be attacked now, Kofi would never think of them as even remotely normal people. Adamite quickly weighed his options. Considering the Crystal gems together couldn't take this thing down, there was no way that he would be able to on his own. But then again, he didn't even have to, he only had to distract it, right? Arming himself with a few tools, he jumped down to roof, eager to intercept the monster before it reached the temple. Luckily, he spotted it soon enough to catch up with it.

"Over here, you flying freak!", he shouted. Sure enough, the creature noticed him, momentarily gazing in his direction. Though this interest was bound to be short lived, as it quickly resumed towards it's original destination. Briefly annoyed , Adamite quickly broke into a sprint, passing the puffer fish and coming to a stop in front of it.

"Look at me, I'm your opponent now!". He grabbed a hammer from one his pockets, angrily throwing it at the creature. It simply bounced of the creatures hide, softly landing in the sand. Unimpressed, the puffer fish simply proceeded to float past a dumbfounded Adamite. Sighing in frustration, he once again tried to catch up with it. Adamite attempted to leap on it's back, grabbing hold of one of the many spikes on it's back. Using them as steps, he managed to climb up on top of it. Still unable to reclaim it's attention, he pulled out a rubber mallet. He was aware that this thing would likely yield little result, but maybe it would at least distract it a bit. Spike in one hand, mallet in the other, he began to aggressively hit the creatures back. In surprise, the puffer fish began emitting torrents of air, frantically spinning around in an attempt to throw him off. Even though the mallet slipped from his grasp, Adamite managed to hold on to the creature, which continued whirling around aimlessly. It's rampage proved to be short lived, as it crashed into the site of a mountain, throwing off Adamite in the process, leaving both dazed by the impact. Snapping to his senses, Adamite tried to come up with another plan of action.

"Ugh... this isn't getting me anywhere. Alright, think. It has a thick hide that is impervious to any kind of blunt damage. Although perforation would be effective, it's torrents of air leave it almost impossible to approach. It can float, effectively able to turn in any direction. But... that would leave it unable to accelerate properly!". He quickly jumped to his feet, preparing to execute his plan. The puffer fish managed to regain it's bearings as well, now dead set on targeting Adamite. It turned towards him, preparing to blast him with another gust. He quickly ducked beneath it, evading the attack. He proceeded to scaled up the wall behind it, leaping off once he was high enough, in order to jump above it. As he suspected, the fish was unable to catch up with him in time. It barely managed to turn towards the wall. He came down inches behind the creatures back, and, using all of his speed. grabbed hold of one of it's spikes, sending it spinning. Whirling around uncontrollably, the monster found itself unable to counter it's new found momentum, leaving it to spin around vertically.

"Alright, please, please let this work.". Adamite produced a screwdriver from his pocket, firmly grasping it in both hands. Charging the fish from the side, he rammed it down into it with all his might.

With a deafening bang, the creature burst, sending him flying back towards the cliff. Luckily, his fall was cushioned by a comfortable pile of rocks.

"Ugh... nailed it...", he meekly stated, giving himself a thumbs up.

* * *

"Bye, see you again soon!". Steven just finished waving the Pizza's farewell. The evening went a lot better than he had feared. In the end, even Kofi seemed to have gained a somewhat positive view of the lot. Steven resumed packing up the fold chairs he had set up, while the gems took down the volleyball net. Cheerfully whistling a tune to himself, he spotted Adamite in the distance, slowly shuffling back towards the temple.

"Hey Adamite, you missed the entire party, where have you-". It was then, that Steven noticed how beaten up he actually looked. "Uhh, did you fall off the roof...multiple times...?".

"I... guess you could say that.", he grunted. He pulled out the puffer fish's gem from his pocket, handing it over to Steven. "Here, I'm sure the other gems know what to do with it.". Steven simply eyed it in amazement.

"Whaat?! You managed to take it down all on your own?", he beamed in excitement. Adamite knew he was all to eager to hear the entire story.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. For now, I really just want to rest up a bit...". The prospect of sinking down into a comfy mattress was the only thing he had on his mind right now. But at the same time, he couldn't help but smile at his victory today. Perhaps he was cut out to be a guardian after all?


	4. Chapter 4 - A reason to fight

Adamite spent the morning reading through a stack of books that Steven had given him. Although this television thing could be entertaining for a little while, he quickly lost interest in the few shows it had to offer. Instead, he asked Steven if he had something else that he could occupy himself with. Currently, he was reading through a series called "Lonely Blade". He couldn't help but wish for something more... sophisticated, but he decided not to be picky. However, he couldn't deny his growing dislike towards the sword fights depicted in the novel. Apparently, the most effective way to go about it was to repeatedly yell "Boomerang Blade" while throwing your swords at the opponent. Adamite could only roll his eyes, given how ridiculous the whole idea sounded to him. Then again, what did he even know about fighting? His thoughts were interrupted by an increasingly loud noise. He figured it would likely come from the beach. Setting the book down, he decided to investigate. But just as he approached the door, a disgruntled Pearl trudged in.

"Ugh, he doesn't even know what _real_ strength is!", she mumbled, starting to clean up the room in frustration.

"Uh... is something the matter?", Adamite asked. Pearl seemed to be entirely secluded in her own mind, continuing to pick up shirts without even noticing him. "I see, fair enough.".

He assumed it was likely best to just leave her alone for now. He made his way through the doorway and took a glance over the beach below. From the looks of it, Steven had set up a makeshift gym for his friends. He was chanting various motivational slogans, while the others were busy training. Adamite guessed that Pearl was upset about Steven focusing on physical strength. But at the same time, he could probably use a little work out, too. If he ever wanted to help the Crystal Gems, he had to get in shape, right? Arriving at the ramshackle fitness center, he walked over to Steven.

"Oh, hey Adam! Already finished with the book I gave you?", Steven asked, momentarily taking a break from his chanting.

"I... guess you could say that.". He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, I see you and your friends are trying to improve yourselves, so I thought I'd give it a shot as well.".

Steven beamed with excitement. "Awesome! Hey, everyone! Attention!". The others dropped whatever they were occupied with and turned their attention to Steven. "I am glad to introduce a new challenger!". He enthusiastically pointed over to Adamite, who just stood there, dumbfounded, not entirely comfortable with being the center of attention. "Since you haven't meet each other yet, we'll start by introducing you to everyone.". He grabbed Adamite's arm, dragging him over to the others.

"Adamite, meet Sadie.". Adamite eyed the girl. He identified her as another human. He couldn't quite estimate her age, though. She was only slightly taller than Steven, yet she appeared to be a fair bit older.

"Hey, aren't you the guy I saw fixing Kofi's roof a few days ago? How considerate of you.". She offered him a warm smile, which he immediately returned.

"Aaand this cool dude over here is Lars". Try as he might, Adamite couldn't shake his gaze from the boy's curiously disfigured earlobes. He decided not to inquire, though. Might be a sensitive topic, after all.

"Dude, what's with your skin? Are you another one of Steven's weird friends?". Adamite was momentarily taken aback. He was unsure if he was supposed to be offended, or if this was a normal manner of speech.

"I... guess so?", he shrugged.

"And last, meet my dad". Adamite could see that this human was much older than the others. And far more out of shape, for that matter. But he looked like a friendly individual.

"Oh hey there, pleasure to meet you. I had no idea Steven befriended another gem! Or that there even were any others left on earth at all.". Adamite raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"So you are familiar with all this, you know, gem stuff?".

"Well, yeah. I am Steven's father, after all". Makes sense, Adamite figured.

"So, with that settled, let's resume our training!", Steven boomed. He was all to eager to get back on track. The others resumed what there were previously occupied with, leaving Adamite to stare at the equipment. He really had no clue what to do with this stuff.

"Look, we can start of with something simple.", Steven led him over to a two stacks of metal rings, which were connected by a rod. "This is a dumbbell. You lift it to train your arms.". With a bit of effort, Steven picked it up and handed it over to Adamite. Intrigued, he grabbed it in one hand. To Steven's surprise, he found it to be anything but heavy. He experimentally shifted it around in his hand, but with no effort whatsoever.

"Wow, you're stronger than you look", Steven said in amazement.

"It seems so.". Given the people he was training with, Adamite reminded himself that this gear was likely constructed for humans. It shouldn't surprise him that he was able to lift it so easily.

"Uhh... let's try something else, okay?", he eagerly ran over to a rope, which had handles attached to each end. "This is a skipping rope. You just fling it over your head and below your feet over and over again. You have to jump, though, so the rope doesn't get caught on your feet.". Seemed simply enough. Adamite took one end in each hand and tried to reproduce the action that Steven described. The first few times, the rope ending up getting caught on his head. Either that, or he ended up jumping at the wrong intervals. But he quickly developed a steady pace.

"So... how long am I supposed to do this?", he said between jumps.

"Uhm... Basically until your legs get tired. I'll go check on the others.". Steven dashed off to the rest, who seemed to have collapsed on the beach. It seemed that human stamina was quite limited. For the time being, Adamite kept observing them. He noted how Steven managed to motivate them, even though they had already given up, due to exhaustion. He was amazed how they always found the strength to push themselves just a little further. Eventually, however, everyone else had reached their limit, and they decided to call it a day. Steven waved goodbye to everyone, and turned around to Adamite, only to gasp in disbelief.

"WHAT? You're _still_ jumping? It's been like an hour!". At that, Adamite noted how he still performed the perpetual motion that Steven had showed him earlier. He hadn't even noticed.

The two were sitting in front of the Tv, watching the visual adaptation of "Lonely Blade". Even though reluctantly, Adamite agreed to grant Steven some company.

"You know, I don't really think you're out of shape at all.", Steven began. "Maybe you just need another kind of training. You know, in terms of technique.".

"I hope you're not talking about boomerang blades.", Adamite joked.

"That would be awesome!". He hoped he had not given Steven any crazy ideas. "No. I mean, Pearl is really talented with all sorts of weapons, maybe you should ask her?". Somehow, Adamite felt like she wouldn't be to eager about that. Though suddenly, he felt off. For a moment, he swore he noticed some sort of vibration. His assumption was confirmed, as the feeling grew stronger and stronger.

"Uhh... Steven? Do you feel that too?".

"Huh? What are you talking about?". Steven seemed entirely oblivious, but Adamite was sure he wasn't imagining it.

"I don't understand!", Pearl butted in. "Amethyst and Garnet still aren't back yet!".

"Back from your previous mission, I assume?", Adamite asked.

Pearl nodded in confirmation. "I tried to warp back to check on them, but the warp pad is down!".

Suddenly, the vibration Adamite sensed before grew much more intense. The entire ground shook, and a commotion seemed to grow outside. The three quickly exited the house to see what was going on. The cause of the earthquake, a giant, four armed creature with a wrecking ball, angrily stomped towards the beach. Sadie and Lars instantly ran for their dear lives, while Greg decided to stay. He was surely worried about Steven.

"It's Sugilite!", Steven exclaimed.

"What? Who's Sugilite?", Adamite asked, curiously studying the creature approaching them.

"She's the fusion of Garnet and Amethyst. Pretty cool, huh?". Adamite was perplexed. He had no idea that gems could fuse, much less produce something like this. Pearl eagerly ran over to greet them.

Adamite couldn't make out what they were saying from where he was, but Sugilite appeared to be extremely agitated about something. However, he did not expect her to deliver a swift kick to pearl, sending her flying back towards the house. Steven instantly ran down to check on Pearl, Adamite following directly behind.

"Why is she destroying dad's gym? Why is she attacking you?". Adamite could tell that Steven was deeply concerned about the behavior of his fused friends.

"You two, get out of here!", Pearl commanded.

"But-", Adamite grabbed his arm. "Come on Steven, this is not our fight.". Against his will, he dragged the struggling kid away from the scene. But he knew that on her own, Pearl would never stand a chance against this giant. He watched in unease as the two fought. Pearl had the advantage of agility, but the overwhelming strength of Sugilite was simply too much for her to handle. After evading a punch, Pearl leaped up to Sugilite, striking her face with her spear. To her dismay, she barely managed to knock her glasses off, let alone harm her. Unable to evade the next blow, she was sent flying towards the ground. She crashed into beach, producing a large crater. Though even after a hit like that, Pearl was still standing.

"You think you're something?", the giant roared. "You are NOTHING!". She threw Pearl back into the air, only to slam her back down into the ground. Adamite could tell Pearl could not keep this up any longer. For the first time since he could remember, he was afraid. Afraid that his friends could get hurt, or worse.

"Pearl!". In his moment of absence, Steven freed himself from Adamite's grip and ran over to her, standing up against Sugilite.

"Steven... no, go!", Pearl stammered. She tried pushing herself to her feet, but failed.

"What, so you want some of me, too?", Sugilite taunted. She lifted her foot, preparing to crush them underneath her weight. But moments before the impact, a pink, shield-like bubble formed around Steven.

"I won't... let you hurt... Pearl!", he exclaimed, his voice filled with resolve. But he couldn't keep his defense up for long. Deflecting such a powerful attack took it's toll on him. Soon, Steven's bubble faded, and he collapsed in the sand next to Pearl. Sugilite lifted her flail, preparing to finish them off.

"No, Steven! Not you too!". Letting go of any reason, Adamite jumped down the railing of the house, sprinting over to the two. With a mighty swing, Sugilite sent her flail crashing down on them.

"Stay AWAY from them!". With a sweep of his arm, Adamite created a powerful gust of wind, strong enough to knock back the flail. Even Sugilite herself tumbled back a few steps. Eyeing his own hand in disbelief, Adamite quickly returned to reality. Spinning around, he offered his hand to Pearl.

"Come on, we can beat her, together". Pearl hesitated, but saw the genuine determination in his eyes. Taking his hand, she scrambled to her feet, readying her spear. "Together". She confirmed.

"Ohh, you're gonna pay for _that_!", Sugalite bellowed. She attempted to strike them again, but Adamite quickly grabbed the two, jumping out of the way. He gently set Steven down behind a rock.

"Don't worry buddy, it's going to be okay. I promise". He turned his attention back to Sugilite.

"Come on, you over sized wrecking ball, just try to hit me!", he screamed, dashing to her right, preparing to circle her. Pearl quickly took note of his plan, running off to the left. Sugilite made another attempt to crush him, but Adamite managed to evade, by quickly switching directions. Noticing the opening, Pearl leaped up to her, delivering a swift slash to her back. Sugilite stumbled forwards, but quickly spun around. Hitting the still airborne Pearl, she sent her flying up further into the sky.

"Don't you turn your back to me!", Adamite taunted. With a powerful low kick, he produced a torrent of air, strong enough to knock Sugilite of her feet.

"Pearl, now!", he commanded. Regaining her bearings, Pearl quickly took aim, throwing down her spear with deadly precision. The still stunned Sugilite was helpless, as the weapon came down on her, impaling her in the chest.

"Aargh! No! I...". unable to even finish the sentence, the monstrosity dissipated in a large cloud of smoke, leaving Garnet and Amethyst behind.

"Phew, glad that ordeal is over.". He decided checking on Steven had priority. Pearl, meanwhile, made sure that Garnet and Amethyst were alright. The two seemed to be severely exhausted. Being fused for so long must have taken it's toll on them. Reaching Steven, Adamite noted that he slowly came back to his senses.

"Ugh... what happened?", he asked drowsily.

"Don't worry, Pearl and I managed to defeat that rampaging fusion. Everything's okay now".

"Whoa, you fought too?", in an instant, Steven seemed to be wide awake.

"I don't really know what came over me, but seeing you recklessly charge in to help Pearl, it just gave me the courage to fight back, too.", he said, affectionately ruffling through his hair. He carefully picked him up, placing him on top of his shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home, you've earned a rest.".


	5. Chapter 5 - Hobby hunt

Adamite had been staring off into the distance for what seemed like an eternity. The cliff by the lighthouse atop the temple quickly became his favorite brooding spot. For some reason, just gazing down into the seemingly endless ocean helped him calm his mind. Usually, no one else came here, so he choose this place whenever he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, which happened to be more often than not.

He couldn't stop thinking about his last fight. So, apparently he was able to control wind currents, though he didn't know to which extent. He figured it was imperative to find out, nonetheless. After all, knowledge and control of your abilities are crucial, lest you want to end up harming your allies. Thus, he found himself wondering if wind was the only thing he was able to control, which bought him back to his original question: who he used to be. Given his abilities, it seemed obvious that he was some kind of fighter. He wondered if he, too, had the ability to summon a weapon. All the other gems seemed to. But he had no clue how they actually did it. It never looked like they thought about it all that much, like it didn't take any effort whatsoever. But then again, he didn't even know where to start. He could ask the gems for advice, but they were always out on missions. Most of the time, anyway. He was sure that, what little free time they had, could be put to better use than to instruct him in something that seemed trivial. He could, of course, ask Steven. After all, they surely taught him a thing or two about this topic.

He decided that this was the most reasonable thing to do right now. Considering the time, Steven was probably watching one of his favorite shows on the TV, as he now knew to call it. Adamite sat up from the cliff and made his way back down the hill, heading towards the beach house.

* * *

As he stepped through the doorway, he did, in fact, find Steven watching television. He did not recognize the show that was on, but he had little interest in that particular topic anyway. He attempted to strike up a conversation.

"Hey Steven, could you spare a moment?", he asked, making his way up the stairs towards him.

"Huh?". Steven redirected his attention away from the TV. "Oh, hey Adamite. Why, do you need help with anything?". Adamite had always enjoyed how obliging Steven was. In contrast to the other gems, he was pleasantly easy to talk to.

"Something like that. Say, have you had any success with summoning your weapon yet?".

Steven raised an eyebrow at the unusual question."Just once, but I just can't do it at all. The gems gave me some tips, but I didn't really understand any of them.".

Adamite decided to sit down on the bed next to him. Noting that this could turn out to be a longer conversation, Steven shut off the TV.

"It's just... I've been wondering if I could someone one, too, but I don't even know where to start. And if the advice the gems gave you is not a good lead either, I really am in quite a pickle". He averted his eyes, seemingly drifting off in thought. "Say, that one time you _did_ manage to someone it, did anything special happen at that point?".

Bringing a hand to his chin, Steven attempted to recreate the event in his mind.

"Let me think... That day I was really sad, because the cookie cats were no longer being sold at the Big Donut, but it turned out that the gems had saved some for me. Then, my gem suddenly started to glow, but I couldn't manage to summon my shield. Later, I had a talk with the gems. I felt like I could never be a real Crystal Gem if I couldn't even summon my weapon, but they all tried so hard to cheer me up. That was the first and last time so far I ever summoned my weapon..."

"That's it?", Adamite inquired.

"Yup, nothing else happened".

"Hm..." He tried to analyze the situation. It quickly became obvious what the trigger was. "It seems that in both situation, you were in quite a blissful state of mind. Perhaps your weapon is linked to your emotions?".

"That's true! I thought the cookie cats were the key to my shield, but it's just because they made me happy! Do you think it works the same for you?".

"I suppose it is worth a shot. It's likely as much of a lead as we will get.".

"Then think about it, what makes _you_ happy?".

"Uhh...". Now that question left Adamite flustered. Up until now, he hadn't realized that he did not actually have something he would call a hobby. He had more free time than he knew what to do with. During most of it, he really just sat around, doing nothing, passing the time in the comfort of his own mind. But thinking didn't get him anywhere in this matter. "Come to think of it... I don't actually know.".

"What? How can you _not_ know that? There has to be something you like doing!".

"Well, considering I have yet to try all that much, I can't really say that I do.".

"Then we just figure out what you like, Come on!". With that, Steven jumped to his feet and out of the house, dragging a still pondering Adamite with him.

* * *

"And this is one of my favorite places to hang out!", Steven declared proudly. Adamite found himself of a large, colorful building labeled 'Funland Arcade'. To him, it seemed to be a bit overdecorated, and especially uncomfortably noisy, but who was he to be picky?

"What is this place?".

"This is the Beach City Arcade, you can play all kinds of awesome games here. I'm sure we'll find one that you like!". Without further ado, he stormed in, Adamite following closely behind. Upon entering, they were greeted by a tall, bald man. Said man suspiciously eyed Adamite, but quickly turned his attention back to Steven.

"Is this another one of your friends? I swear, if he breaks as many games as the other ones, you can all consider yourself banned from this arcade!". He did not seem to be amused. Adamite couldn't help but wonder what the story behind his behavior was.

"Don't worry. I'll be... cautious.", Adamite assured in an attempt to quell the man.

"I've got my eye on you...", he threatened, making his way back to the counter.

"What was that about?", Adamite wondered aloud.

"Yeah, funny story. Garnet may have broken one or two games the last time we were here. Anyway, let's check out some games. How about this one?". Adamite looked over to the direction Steven was pointing. His gazes fell on a machine labeled 'Chrono Panic 4'. Walking over to it, he curiously eyed the machine.

"So... how does this work, exactly?".

"It's simple platformer. You just jump and run through the level, evading enemies and collecting power ups.".

"Seems simple enough.".

The game-play did, in fact, turn out to be as simple as Steven pictured it. The only challenging factor was likely the gruesomely short time limit for each stage, but at least that explained where the 'Panic' came from. After a few attempts, Adamite managed to beat the first chapter. Though realizing he did not actually accomplish anything worthwhile by doing so, the euphoria of winning was to be short lived. Non existent, to be exact. He let out a sigh, concluding that this was certainly not his kind of free time activity. He briefly scanned the rest of the arcade, looking for Steven. He spied him smacking some sort of machine called 'Whacker Man Jr.', targeting little men who seemed to be armed with squirt guns. He decided to leave Chrono Panic behind and made his way over to him. Steven, still entirely captivated by his game, failed to notice him immediately. Clearing his throat, Adamite spoke up.

"You know, I don't really think this is my kind of thing. Perhaps we should try something else?".

Setting the hammer down, Steven returned his attention to his friend. "That's fine, there's lots of other stuff we can try! Beach City has all kinds of things to do. I'm sure we'll find something".

To the dismay of both of them, even Steven usually unbound motivation started to weaken after 3 hours of aimlessly wandering around town. Adamite tried to enjoy whatever Steven suggested them to do, but he didn't want to lie to him about having fun either. They had been to every place Steven knew. The Big Donut, the Beach City Funland, the Theater, the Pier... Steven had even dragged him all the way out to a Mini-Golf Course. Refusing to give up just yet, the two were still strolling through the streets, though even Steven's enthusiasm was beginning to falter.

"You know...", Adamite spoke up. "I really appreciate you trying, but I don't think this is getting us anywhere. We've been trying literally everything for the past few hours.".

"No, there has to be something you like, we just have to keep looking!".

While they were walking, Adamite resumed scanning the are for anything that piqued his interest. He did, in fact, spot a building that they had not yet visited. It appeared to be a civilian establishment of some sort, labeled "Budwick Public Library". He decided to inquire.

"Hey, what's that place over there", he asked, pointing over to the building he just spied.

"Oh, that. That's the towns library, but there isn't really anything fun to do in there, just a whole lot of books.". At that, Adamite perked up. Books? Now that sounded more promising. The few of Steven's books he had read so far had been disappointingly... dull. But in a place this big there was bound to be something of interest.

"I'd like to have a look at it anyway, if you don't mind.", he asked, already walking towards the entrance.

"Uhh, sure. Why not.". Steven followed closely behind.

Inside, Adamite had to admit that he was quite impressed at the sight. Countless shelves, storing an uncountable number of books, were placed all over the complex. He didn't even know where to start looking. Running of to the closest shelf, he quickly scanned the labels of each book for anything that seemed interesting. So many topics that he did not even think about before were present here. From specific topics like Beach City history to more general matters like the structure of various plants. Ha immediately noted that this would be the perfect place to look in case he ever wished to extend his knowledge of earth. But what currently interested him the most was a dusty book labeled "A beginner's guide to meditation". He pulled the piece free of it's neighbors, brushing off some of the neglect it had collected over what he could only assume to be years.

"Hey Steven, I think I've found something.", he called out. Soon enough, the bubbly young boy came in, having taken a liking to using a wheeled stool as a method of movement.

"That's great! What is it?".

"I'm not quite sure yet, but I think it's about methods to calm and sort out your mind. I'm quite confident this could help me remember how to summon my weapon. I'd say we give it a shot.".

* * *

Back atop the crystal temple, Steven had set up a yoga mat for Adamite to sit on, who had promptly made himself comfortable. He had his eyes closed, waiting for Steven to supply him with orders.

"Okay, let's begin.". Clearing his throat, he began to read out the instructions in the book. "First, assume a comfortable position... which I see you have already done. Next, think of something that clams you.". The picture of waves crashing against the shore immediately came to mind. "Now, regulate your breathing. Take long, deep breaths, and exhale in a steady rhythm. Try to shut off any distractions from the outside world and focus solely on your thoughts.". Losing himself in the tranquility of the ocean, any other sound slowly faded away to him, although he could still faintly make out Steven's voice. "Now, open your inner eye. What do you see?". Adamite felt as though he was drifting away, like his soul no longer was connected to his body. For what seemed like an eternity, his consciousness drifted through nothingness, until he started to hear faint sounds. They seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, but he could make it out to be speech. With a bit of effort, he managed to understand the words.

"You know, I've been wondering... Of all the places out there, why did it have to be earth? A planet without such a lively flora and fauna would have been much easier to colonize, no?".

"Why do you think is live flourishing on this planet? Quality resources are abundant, fit for the production of only the finest gems. As you know, we are running short on resources here on home world. Besides, I would have guessed you, of all people, would care the least. You wouldn't question your orders, would you?".

"Of course not, it was just a thought. I assume I am still set to deploy tomorrow?".

"Indeed. And remember, we expect great deeds from you".

For some reason, Adamite felt himself grow increasingly agitated. He could hear the words, but he could not see anything. He just couldn't tell who was talking to whom. He feebly tried to move forward, somewhere, trying to get closer to the source of the conversation, but he only drifted around in nothingness.

"Adamite!", Steven yelled.

Snapping out of his trance, he opened his eyes, seeing a visibly concerned Steven grabbing him by the shoulders.

"I... what just happened?".

"You tell me, you suddenly started to grow all restless, like you were having a nightmare. I was worried something might have gone wrong".

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. But... I guess we should call it a day, I don't really think we're getting anywhere."

"Okay. But if you want to talk about it, you know where to find me".

Adamite returned the beaming smile Steven was giving him. He slowly scrambled to his feet, still feeling slightly dizzy from his ordeal. He rolled up the mat and beckoned Steven to follow him back down to the temple. He considered telling him what happened, but he didn't want him to be bothered about something that he couldn't even place. He decided he would rather figure it out on his own. But he was glad to know that, if he needed support, Steven would be there for him.


	6. Chapter 6 - Ambivalence

It turned out that boats were just as relaxing as he had pictured them to be. After he had kindly helped them stashing there catch, a few fishers had offered to lend Adamite a small rowboat. He eagerly accepted the offer, figuring that a short trip to the sea would help him think. He had been drifting around for a while now, though he had to admit that he entirely lost track of time. Simply enjoying the gentle shove of the waves, he had found himself a comfortable position and stared off at passing clouds. Given the boundless nature of the ocean and the never ending horizon of the sky, he found himself at peace. Almost like he was floating, like there was nothing weighing him down. But at the same time, he still had a certain thought nagging him from the depth of his mind. That conversation he witnessed during his meditation session with Steven... it could have only been one of his past. But he just couldn't make any sense of it. Although he was reassured that his memory did, in fact, start to return, even if it was just a little. He wagered it'd be best to just wait and see.

It was then that he noticed the unusually large flock of birds heading towards his direction. If he remembered correctly, the fishermen referred to this particular kind as seagulls. It struck hims as odd that they were suddenly all coming this way, as though they were fleeing from something. The question why, however, was soon to be answered. The ocean surface, which used to be calm mere moments ago, suddenly started to grow restless. The fishermen had warned him to watch out for any sign of bad weather, but the sky had barely a cloud in it, let alone a whole storm cloud. Huge waves started to form, shaking his little boat and threatening to topple it over. Given that gems cannot actually drown, Adamite managed to keep his composure. In fact, he was more worried about possibly not being able to return the boat in one piece. Holding tightly to the boat's railing, he watched the event unfold with a certain sense of unease. Then it struck him. The waves were not even moving towards the same direction as the wind! Gazing off into the distance, he spied what seemed to be a pillar forming. This was definitely not nature's work. Someone or something was drawing in the entire ocean! Caught in the ever accelerating current of waves, he had no choice but to sit back and watch.

* * *

He began closing in on the tower of water. He could not even see the top! However, that was to expected, given that the whole sea seemed to be drawn to it. Still speeding towards his unwanted destination, he began to wonder what would happen next, although he was certainly not eager to find out. Nonetheless, he knew it had to happen. Crashing into the pillar, he was relieved that at least the consistency of the water had not been amplified. Now entirely submerged and still holding on to the boat, he found himself whirling around, entirely losing any sense of direction. The boat, however, still attempted to float, dragging a dizzy Adamite with it. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. He wondered if he would ever reach the top, and if they were any answers to this dilemma to be found.

He had passed all manner of aquatic life in the process, but he was glad that no humans were caught up in this mess. Come to think of it, the entire ocean had been piled into this... whatever it was. And from what he could tell, he was virtually the only sentient person who happened to be dragged along. Likely for the better, anyway.

In due time, he finally reached the end of his ascension. The massive base had split into numerous small pillars at this point. With only one way to go, he decided to leave his trusty boat behind and headed for the tallest one. Leaping from one base to another, he soon managed to reach said place. To his amazement, he did spy another person. The act seemed to be mutual, as the figure quickly turned around, eyeing him in surprise. However, surprise quickly turned into anger.

"You... You shouldn't be here!", she bellowed. The entire pillar seemed to shake with the might of her voice, but Adamite was unfazed. After all, she did not actually look that threatening. From her long, blue dress, to her dapper haircut, she certainly did not look all that imposing. But one thing he could tell for sure. She was a gem as well.

"I didn't mean to be here. I've been caught up into... this. What are you even doing?". He tried to put up a calming tone. The last thing he wanted to do was to startle her any further.

"Go away!". Entirely ignoring his question, she did not seem to be interested in small talk.

"You know, I would love too, buut... I'm quite sure earth needs this ocean, so... again, why did you even steal it?".

"You are just another one of those Crystal Gems, aren't you? I've had enough of you and your friends, I-".

"I'm not, actually.", he interrupted. Although he hated to be rude, he figured it was best to remove any misconceptions as fast as possible. "I guess we are acquaintances, at most, but that's all there really is to it.". At this statement, she visibly seemed to calm down.

"Then... who are you? I thought there weren't any other gems on earth anymore.".

"Truth be told, I have no idea either, as weird as that may sound to you.". He decided it was hardly important right now, anyway. "But if I may ask, how come you have such a level of aversion towards the Crystal Gems? They never seemed to bear any hostility towards anyone.".

She let out a deep sigh, averting her gaze in sorrow. She seemed to be remembering something unpleasant. "They don't really care about other gems.", she began. "All they care about is this miserable planet.".

"Earth isn't that bad. Sure, it may not be the most exciting place most of the time, but I have grown to like that.".

"I just want to go home!", she finally blurted out. "If I could just stretch the ocean a little bit further...".

It all started making sense now. "Wait, so _that's_ what you've been doing here? I really don't mean to be rude, but this plan is ridiculous." She did not strike him as a deluded person. He couldn't quite grasp why she thought this might possibly work out. However, she seemed to start realizing this, too.

"Ugh.. I know", she sighed, sinking to her knees in frustration. "It's hopeless... if only my gem weren't cracked...".

It was then, that he noticed the fissure on the gem embedded in her back. The thought of damaging your gem had never even crossed his mind, but he figured it must be a troublesome matter indeed.

"Sadly, I don't know what to about that particular problem. But I'm sure if we put our heads to it, we can figure something out. You may have messed up the entire ecosystem of this planet, but I can see that you bear no ill intent.". He cautiously approached her, slowly making one step after another. Seeing that she did not make any attempt to harm him, he decided to sit down next to her. She was still forlornly staring down at the ground, as though hope had entirely left her.

"Come on, lighten up. We can figure something out, I'm sure of it". She slowly turned her head towards him. He had not even noticed her mirror-like eyes up until know, but he kept himself from being distracted. He offered her a warm smile, trying to cheer her up a bit.

"I'm Adamite, by the way. That's... really the only thing I can remember. May I ask your name?".

"Lapis... Lapis Lazuli", she meekly stated.

The two exchanged glances for a while, unsure of what to say. Though soon enough, Lapis decided to speak up.

"So.. you have no memory at all? Not even of homeworld?". He was glad that she seemed to have at least momentarily forgotten her peril.

"Yeah. It's actually just been a few months since they've found me.".

"And by they, I assume you mean...", she paused, seemingly struggling with herself not to snarl out in disgust. "the Crystal Gems?".

"Right. But even though I tried... I can't really seem to get along with any of them. They always seem so distant towards me, almost like they are afraid of something. Well, all but Steven.".

Suddenly, her eyes lit up with excitement. "So you know Steven, too?". He was perplexed at her sudden change of mood, but gladly accepted it either way.

"Yeah, we're pals. I think there really is a person that he doesn't get along with. He's just so good natured and pure, I sometimes feel like he is too nice for his own good.".

"I can relate. After all, he was the only one who ever even considered freeing me. It's hard to believe he is actually on of their members."

"Wait, freed? I can figure this may be a sensitive topic but... may I ask what happened?". He was sad to see her mood shifting back to it's previous state, but he couldn't help his curiosity.".

"The Crystal Gems had kept be trapped in a mirror for thousands of years, before Steven finally released me."

This took Adamite off guard. It went against anything he thought they used to stand for. After all, Lapis was hardly a violent individual. Considering what they did to her, she was comparatively civil about the topic. "Seriously?!", he asked in disbelief "I'm uhh... I'm sure they didn't know you were in there", he offered.

"Even if they didn't", she started, averting her gaze, "that only means they never bothered to check...".

It was hard for him to take this atrocity in, but it made sense that Steven immediately freed her upon discovering the mirror. Given her situation, Adamite became increasingly determined to help her out of her predicament. But given that "homeworld" seemed to be another planet all together, he didn't even know how to begin getting her there.

"They're here...", Lapis suddenly snarled. Adamite instantly knew who he meant. Moments later, a pink portal opened up behind them, on that was all too familiar to Adamite. A big, pink Lion emerged, Carrying the entirety of the Crystal Gems with him.

"Lapis!", Garnet shouted. Though before she could unleash any threats, she spied Adamite standing next to her, who gave her an unreadable glare. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I got caught up in all this and ended up here by accident.", he stated matter-of-factly. Garnet, however, payed little attention to his questionable behavior, instead returning her attention to Lapis".

"Go away!", Lapis commanded.

"You have stolen earth's ocean! Return it at once", Garnet demanded in return.

"Of course.", she snorted. "You don't even care about who I used to be. I was just another tool to you!".

"We were right to keep you imprisoned, look what you've done!", Garnet retorted.

So it really was true. Everything Adamite had thought that them to be. He had always tried to get along with them. He had always admired them for their selfless intention to protect the earth, but this... He didn't know what to think anymore.

"Leave at once before I have to force you!", Lapis threatened. However, Garnet already had enough. Suddenly bursting into a charge, she prepared to apprehend Lapis, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Though before Garnet could even strike her, she found herself stopped in her tracks. Her gauntlet had been parried by a sizable broadsword, firmly clutched by Adamite, who gazed at her in a mixture of disgust and betrayal. "That's enough.".

At this point, Steven would have already rushed in, if it weren't for Pearl holding him back. He seemed to be the only one astonished by the new weapon displayed before them. Not even Adamite himself seemed to take notice.

Taking a step back, Garnet attempted to comprehend Adamite's intervention.

"What are you doing?", she questioned.

"No, what are _you_ doing? What did Lapis ever do to you to deserve millennia of imprisonment. She just wants to go home!", he said, assuming a defensive stance. Lapis, meanwhile, was astonished to see Adamite stand up for her. She didn't feel like she deserved it.

"She stole earth's ocean! She's harming the entire planet!"

"Do you really fail to see how none of this would have happened it you had just listened to her?".

"I've had enough, move it!".

He knew this was her last warning, but he couldn't condemn a fellow gem in distress, especially not if she had done nothing wrong. After a brief moment of hesitation, he made his choice.

"Make me.", he snarled.

That was enough to push Garnet over the edge. Charging at him, she prepared to deliver blow to Adamite's head. Swiftly spinning out of the way, he dodged behind her back, only to deliver a powerful kick. Garnet was sent flying a short distance, but quickly managed to retaliate, preparing to charge in for another attack. Adamite attempted to parry the blow with his sword, but the force of the impact briefly broke his guard; enough time for Garnet to deliver a blow to his chest. Stumbling back a few steps, he raised his weapon, preparing to swing at her. Garnet ducked below the attack, sweeping him off his legs with a powerful low kick. Catching himself with his free hand, Adamite managed to roll in order to absorb his fall. Whirling around, he thrust out his arm, blasting Garnet with a forceful gust of wind. She was sent flying backwards, almost soaring off the pillar, before Amethyst managed to catch her with her whip. Next up, Pearl charged in, spear in hand, targeting Adamite. Trying to gain an edge over her, Adamite prepared for an overhead swing. Seeing the opportunity, she quickly delivered a blow to his hilt, disarming in the process. He barely managed to evade a vertical slash, using his momentum to spin into a high kick, knocking her off her feet. He quickly grabbed his still airborne sword, managing to raise his guard just in time to deflect another blow from Garnet.

"STOP IT!".

Everyone froze in their tracks, turning their attention towards the source of the outburst. Their stares settled on Steven, tears welling in his eyes.

"Why do we have to fight?", he sobbed. Seeing his friends attack each other like this tore him apart. "We're all gems, why can't we help each other?".

Adamite responded first, throwing his sword to the ground in frustration. "I don't _want_ to fight you... it's just... you care about earth so much that you let go of all reason while protecting it.".

Garnet and Pearl exchanged nervous glances, slowly realizing the error in their recent deeds. They saw Lapis as a threat to earth's well being that had to be eliminated. They failed to consider what she must feel like. Stuck on earth for years without end, desperately trying to find a way home. To everyone surprise, Lapis was the next person to speak up. For all her distrust of the Crystal Gems, she hated to see Adamite throwing himself into the line of fire for her.

"If only my gem weren't cracked... I could just fly back home.".

Realizing her predicament, the Crystal Gems all turned their attention towards Steven. By this point, he had managed to regain his composure, wiping away the last of his tears.

"I... I can try to heal it.", he offered, slowly returning to his cheerful self.

"Wait, you have healing powers?", Lapis asked in amazement. "Uhm, what should I...". She awkwardly shifted around, unsure of what to do, but ended up offering her back to Steven. Sheepishly licking his hand, he proceeded to give her a swift pat on her cracked hem. Adamite could only stare in wonder as it began to glow, the fracture slowly starting to fade away. As the restoration neared it's end, water suddenly sprouted from her back, forming two powerful wings. She gave them an experimental flap, before turning back to Steven. For once, she actually seemed to be happy.

"Thank you, Steven!". She beamed with excitement. It was obvious that she was delighted to finally return home. Adamite could only wonder how that must feel for her, after all these years.

"Okay, I'll be on my way then-".

"Hey,", Adamite threw in ", wherever you are, take care of yourself, okay?". For the first time, she returned the warm smile that he offered her. But all to eager to go home, she leaped off with a powerful stroke of her wings, quickly fading away into the distance.

"Alright everyone, let's go home.", Steven concluded. Beckoning everyone over to Lion, he made sure no one was missing. "Hey, Adamite, are you-", he paused, looking around for him. All of a sudden, he was nowhere to be found. "Adamite?". Garnet gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine, let's go.".

Adamite, meanwhile, had made his way back down to the boat. Even after all this, he was still dutiful enough to return it in one piece. Of course, deep down he knew that was just a lazy excuse to briefly get away from the others. While wondering how he could make his way down safely, a small platform formed itself at the edge of the pillar. He chuckled, glad that Lapis had still been considerate enough to offer him a lift down.

* * *

With the tower dissolved, the ocean had returned to it's former state. Adamite had been rowing back for a while now, and to his delight, could already spy the Beach City pier in the distance. All the while, he had been wondering if he'd ever see Lapis again. For some reason, he already missed her. But he figured she would be okay; given that she managed to manipulate the entire sea, she sure was a powerful individual. But at the same time, he couldn't quite feel content. It seemed like they had worked everything out, but he couldn't push the thought of Lapis' imprisonment from his mind. The sheer audacity of keeping someone tracked for such an unbearable period of time was still inconceivable. He didn't know if he'd see the gems in the same light again any time soon, if at all. He knew better than to hold grudges, but at the same time, he couldn't help it. He decided he could ponder that matter another time. For now, he was glad to know that he was able to help Lapis.


	7. Chapter 7 - A glimpse of the past

The sun had just risen over Beach City, wrapping the town in a gentle hue of red. Steven was just making his way back from the post office. He had been so eager to receive his latest delivery that he could not even wait for Jamie to deliver it normally. Carrying his brand new novelty bag under one arm, a hot dog-shaped duffel bag, happily pacing around. Most citizen were just about to start with their morning commute, so the streets were still somewhat empty. Eager to share his latest possession with his friends, he considered paying the Big Donut a visit, though he noted that it was still closed at this time. Assuming this to be the case for most other facilities, that only left the gems. With this in mind, he decided to head back to the Beach House.

Bursting through the door frame with excitement, he proudly held his bag high, brandishing it like a mythical artifact.

"Cheeeck this out!" , he exclaimed. The gems, who had been assembled around the table, broke their attention from the topic they had been discussing. Eyeing the item, Pearl was the first to speak up.

"That's nice, Steven" , she began in her usual, serene tone. "Is that what you have been so eagerly looking forward to for the past days?" . It was never hard to tell when Steven was hyped about something. Most likely because he directed his entire attention to a new, shining event or thing more often than not.

Briefly scanning the room, Steven noted that someone was missing.

"Hey, have you seen Adamite? I'm sure he'd love to see this too." .

The gems exchanged a series of uneasy glances, before Garnet began: "He said he was just going for a walk". .

Steven raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Didn't he also say that two days ago?" .

"That's just it, he hasn't been back since then." , Garnet explained.

"But I thought he said he just needed a little time to think. You know, as usual." .

"Well maybe it's just a, I dunno, really really long walk?" , Amethyst offered.

Pearl and Garnet only shot her an angry glare. Everyone knew perfectly well what this was all about. Steven had hoped it would just blow over, but not even he could deny what had transpired on the ocean 3 days ago. He was sure Adamite would come back eventually, but he still hoped it would be sooner than later.

* * *

Bending yet another branch out of the way, Adamite stepped through into a clearing. He had been randomly strolling around the landscape ever since he had left Beach City. He did pack a map in order not to get lost, but he knew he was heading nowhere in particular. He told himself he just wanted to get away from any kind of distraction to sort out his thoughts. Deep down, however, he secretly hoped to stumble upon any kind of distraction to keep himself from confronting said thoughts. He had been gone for two days now. He slowly began feeling guilty, knowing that Steven was likely worried about him. But then again, not guilty enough to return to the other gems, too. Every since that incident with Lapis, his mind had been torn back and forth. On one hand, he knew how petty and childish it was to simply run away from his problems, but at the same time, it was so much easier than just facing them. He knew he'd have to talk to them eventually. He knew he had to work things out. But as things were, he did not feel ready to do so just yet. Strolling along the side of a cliff, he took a moment to admire the view of the forest before him. It was teeming with life, the leaves of the countless trees building a solid roof, only separated by the occasional lake or river. He had seen all manner of insects and critters on his way here. Nature never failed to amaze him with it's boundless variety. It never felt like he saw the same thing twice. Though as he tracked a passing bird, he halted for a moment. Focusing his eyes, he spotted something peculiar in the distance. It looked as though something was nestled withing the treetops; he could faintly make out protrusions from between the leaves. Lead by his curiosity, he decided to inquire.

He jumped down the cliff, sliding along the walls with an impressive display of balance. The slope wasn't too steep, and he soon reached the bottom. He could not see the strange object from here, but he remembered where he had seen it before, and vaguely headed towards that direction. He kept his gaze focused on the treetops. Soon enough, he did, in fact, stumble upon the entity that he had spied earlier. It was hard to make out just what it was from down here, but it was huge, that was for sure. He was amazed that the trees were able to support it, he could only wonder just how heavy it was. He attempted to inspect the object as closely as he could from his position, tracing the outline to form a picture in his head. He did note that it looked awfully similar to the ships portrayed in the science fiction cartoons that Steven liked to watch. He wondered if there was a any way to enter it. He surely wouldn't find out down here. He found himself the most suitable tree to climb and began his ascend.  
Even while making his way up the tree, he couldn't take his eyes of the strange ship. The closer he got, the more he could make out. It seemed to be made entirely out of some sort of metal, and, given what little he knew about machinery, was much more advanced than human craftsmanship. He soon spotted a platform not far from where he was. He managed to reach it with little effort, carefully setting a foot on the small ledge. Despite it's apparent age, the structure still seemed to be solid. At least solid enough to easily support his weight. He found himself standing in front of what appeared to be a door, but he could discern no visible way to open it. He figured there would likely be some sort of switch along the door frame; if only it weren't so overgrown with moss and vines. Brushing away the nature he had admired up until now, he did manage to excavate a peculiar mechanism. It looked like a small plate embedded into the ship, with a hand symbol sketched onto it. He drew the obvious conclusion. Placing his hand onto the slot, he was momentarily startled by a strained creek. After a few moments, the door proceeded to slowly open, revealing a dark corridor behind it. Adamite took a step back, and experimentally focused on the gem in his hand. Picturing a hilt protruding from the back of his hand, he held on to it and did, to both his surprise and delight, manage to summon his sword. He chuckled to himself. He finally figured out what his problem was. He just thought about it too much. As stupid as it sounded to him in hindsight, all he really had to do was just... do it. Though at this point, he realized that he necer actually took his time to look at it. In general, it looked to be a fairly large, broadsword with a double edged blade, which was split in the center, only connected at the hilt. He estimated it to be around 3 feet in length, and it had a quite... geometrical design. It had no curves or smooth edges, only perfectly symmetrical angles. He had only ever used it once up until now, but he would rather not think back to that moment. Dismissing his weapon, he briefly browsed through one of his pockets. Momentarily praising his providence, he retrieved a flashlight, quickly turning it own to illuminate the corridor.

As he made his way forward, he occasionally took a glance at the walls. Nature had surely tried it's best to reclaim this vessel. Everything was overgrown with vines and other plants. He could only wonder how long this thing had been lodged here. Though aside from it's obvious age, it seemed to be in decent condition. The plating of the walls appeared to be solid, from what little he could tell. He felt a certain sense of unease in the air, though for some reason, he wasn't afraid at all. There was something else, something he couldn't quite place. He soon came to an intersection, spotting a small sign bolted onto the wall. Taking a closer look, it appeared to be a layout of the ship he was one, completed by small You are here , which marked his current location. He took a moment to scan the assortment of rooms. It had a noticeably circular structure, with an indentation at the bottom, leaving it somewhat similar to a crescent moon. Two entrances were located towards the far ends of the ship, of which he had apparently entered the right one. He noted the spike-like extension along the edges of the ship, though he could not remember seeing them from the outside. Perhaps it was more damaged than he first thought it was? The map also had small symbols engraved on each room, which likely signified it's respective function. The one shaped like a crystal intrigued him the most, although it also happened to be the one furthest away from him; the top left of the ship.

Deciding that this was the first room he wanted to visit, he took one last glance at the layout, and then proceeded through the left door. He found himself in a larger room, which was fitted with various consoles of unknown purpose, along with a huge monitor positioned on one of the walls. He figured none of them would be working anyway, and continued on his way. Next, he entered a similar sized room, which two huge devices positioned at the far end. Still having the layout in mind, he figured that this was the center of the ship; The two instruments were directed towards the back, probably engines of some sort. He payed it little mind for now. The next room simply contained a strange, flawless orb in it's center. It seemed to be dormant, resting on a circular holster, which had one smaller console attached to it's side. If he had not taken any wrong turns, his destination should be through the door on his left. He did, in fact, find himself in a smaller room, which featured only a small container. Stepping over to it, he inspected it more closely. It looked like a large turbine with a glass top, a large crystal positioned in it's center. A small engraving along the edges of the object read Generator . He figured this was the main power source of the ship. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if it was still functional. He didn't take long to spot the controls, and soon sheepishly pressed one of the buttons. He waited a few moments. Nothing happened. He tried a few others. No result. Somewhat distraught, he almost accepted that it was entirely busted, before he spied a small lever at the back of the device. Giving it an experimental tug, he was amazed to see the crystal suddenly roar to life. Sparking with energy, the entire room began to light up. He had failed to notice the lights embedded into the roof in each room, which now brightly illuminated the entire ship. He immediately went over to check the other rooms. Much to his dismay, the only thing that seemed to have been activated were the lights. Everything else was as dead as he had left it. The last room he had yet to visit was the front of the ship, likely the main hub. Making his way through the maze of rooms, he was surprised to find himself in front of a fortified door. Though yet again, an identical pad to the one at the entrance was positioned next to the door. Repeating the same process from earlier, the door swung open yet again.

The room he now found himself in looked entirely different. Possibly due to the blast doors, it was entirely free of any plants. In fact, it looked as though it had been kept in top condition. Well, safe for the damaged console at the center and the broken chairs, maybe. A few pieces of debris were sprawled across the ground. He assumed it to be parts of said console. A few containers were positioned at the edges of the room, which he promptly decided to inspect. Distraught, he noted how none of them seemed to contain anything. Though as he opened a last one, he did find what appeared to be a small cassette-like device.  
Carefully holding it in one hand, he gave it an experimental poke. A small interface appeared on the display, which featured a few possible options. Unsure what any of them actually meant, he decided to just randomly press the bottom one.

"Log Date 2-01-1. Today I have been assigned on my first spacecraft headed to earth. I am the new lead engineer, trusted to keep the generator, shields and engines up and running. The ship his been fitted with the most advanced weaponry available to us, but our Captain seems to be a most... peculiar individual. I feel like he's not even paying attention half the time. Despite this, he has displayed amazing feats of strength and cunning, giving me little reason to doubt his authority. Those rebellious clods won't know what hit them." .

Adamite blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the information he just received. Was there some sort of war on earth? If so, who were the participating factions? Considering the age and technology of the very ship he was standing in, it couldn't have been humans. Was there a dispute over earth between two extraterrestrial parties? Then again, that left the mentioned rebellion in obscurity. He began searching the rest of the ship for any kind of other clues, but the recorder he first stumbled upon seemed to be the only thing left in this place. Sighing in frustration, he attempted to make sense of what little he knew. It was then, that he remembered the conversation he had witnessed during his meditation session with Steven. If he had witnessed it, it was likely between gems, and, from the sound of it, they had business on earth as well. He wondered if he played a role in all this, he certainly was no ordinary citizen. But that got him back to thinking what Lapis was talking about before she departed. Up until now, he hadn't really payed a second thought to the "homeworld" she had mentioned. By now it was obvious that gems did not originate from earth, which made him wonder how he himself got here in the first place. He sighed, everything new he learned just turned into more question than answers. He concluded that it'd be best not to think about it too much right now, lest he just ends up in an endless cycle of questions. Making his way back towards the exit, he was astonished to see that the sun had already set. He paused for a moment, considering his options. This abandoned ship may be a good place to stay for now. It was desolate, hard to find, and most importantly, far away from the gems. He decided to make it his temporary base, already starting to ponder if he could fix it in some way. Combating the vegetation might be a good start. Stepping back into the ship, he summoned his sword and decided to get to work.


End file.
